The existing Early Childhood Curriculum called for two
classrooms, one gym and one music room.
However, the trustees saw the project as an opportunity to create a new
concept within the structure of the existing curriculum.
The Imaginasium was to be one part playground, one
part museum, one part classroom. The
invented word was coined to treat the space as a prototype. The goal was not only to create a safe
space for active play in an urban environment, but as importantly, to create a
space that was truly fantastic and unique.
The first hint that something is astray is the miniature
“alice” door at the end of the entry hallway. Once inside…
there is a two-storied cheese tower bathed in yellow light. The carpet acts not only as a visual pattern,
but also provides a soft safety surface for falls and tumbles. Without direct outdoor light, the use
of a photographed “blue sky” allows the Imaginasium to have good weather any
day of the year. A cascading water
table is made from bright blue fiberglass, adding both a tactile and auditory
invitation to play. Velcro and
magnetic walls provide opportunities for children to manipulate the
Imaginasium. Large custom foam
elements transform from giant building blocks to an impromptu stage. This fantasy landscape also allows for hiding
places and quiet places of refuge.
The Juliet balcony gives an additional sense of power, looking over the
colorful landscape.
View Original